A lot of my teaching involves lenses, and lens choices. Tough choices, especially when you cannot just “bring them all”, for example when you travelling.

For travel, my favourite lens, as you know, is the extreme wide angle. “Wide angle” for me in this context means 16-35 on a full frame camera (10-20mm on a crop sensor camera); used usually on the wide side (16mm, for me; 10mm on a crop sensor camera).

Yes, the first reason is obvious: a wide angle lens allows me to “get more in”.  But this “pedestrian” reason is not at all the main reason I like it. First there are three additional “creative” advantages:

1. I get nice diagonals.
2. I can easily introduce depth (“close-far”).
3. The wrap-around feeling that is so good for environmental shots – which is what travel shots often are.

There are three practical benefits, too:

1. A wide angle lens is usually smaller  and lighter than a longer lens.
2. I can shoot with slow shutter speeds without blurring the image.
3. It is easy to get very extended depth of field, even at low “f-numbers”.

Now you see why I like wide angle lenses. “It’s like you’re there”:

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Did you know I can teach you the ins and outs of your specific camera? Come to me for a short 1-2 hour session and we will fully set up your camera; I will teach you its menus and its custom settings; you will learn its quirks; and I will answer all your questions. Any camera type/brand; $125 per hour.